So Much Comfort in This Life

Name: So Much Comfort in This Life
ISBN: 9787505743595

Feng ZikaiChina Friendship Publishing Company2018

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Word count: 120K words
Chapters: 34
ISBN: 9787505743595

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Summary

So Much Comfort in This Life is a selected collection of essays and cartoons by Feng Zikai, published in May 2018 by China Friendship Publishing Company as a commemorative edition for the 120th anniversary of his birth. The book includes 31 serene and warm essays alongside dozens of full-color cartoons drawn by Feng Zikai himself, printed in four colors so that text and image illuminate each other, with selections spanning different periods of his career. The book is arranged by theme into three chapters: Chapter One, "Quietly Observing Life," includes "My Mother," "Traces of a Dream," "To My Children," "Beauty and Sympathy," "Private School Life," and "The Grace of a Meal," among other pieces recalling people and events; Chapter Two, "Settling the Mind," includes "A Temporary Escape from the World," "The Mountains of Guilin," "Life Among Mountains and Waters," "The World of Sketching," "The Face of Mount Lu," and "Sheltering from Rain in the Mountains," among other travel and art essays; Chapter Three, "Joy in the Human World," includes "Lame Sixth Uncle," "The Poor Child's Seesaw," "Qingming," "Meaty Legs," "Wear a Little Smile," "A Guest's Words," and "New Joy," among other pieces speaking truth and portraying ordinary people and everyday feeling. Feng Zikai's style is plain and sincere, humorous and open-hearted, with warmth and sympathy for the ways of the world. What the book conveys is a relaxed, at-ease attitude to life: do not fear the future, do not cling to the past, and settle yourself with a clear heart.

Editor's review

读丰子恺，最难得的是那份不端着的自在。他把母亲、孩子、私塾先生、乡邻、癞六伯这些寻常人物写得有滋有味，没有一句苦大仇深，却让人读了心里发暖。这本《此生多欢慰》按「静观人生」「安顿心灵」「人间欢喜」三章编排，散文与漫画同页相照：一段文字讲屋檐下的小事，一页边上就是几笔勾出的柳枝、摇扇人、坐在门槛上打盹的孩子，文与画互相把意思托起来，是别处难找的阅读体验。全彩四色印刷，纸张与版式都清爽，翻起来像看一本安静的册子。它不提供速效的「解压法」，而是让人看到另一种活法：把日常过得讲究一点，把心事放得轻一点。适合放在床头随手翻，也适合送给正被琐事追着跑的朋友。

Who it's for

A good fit for

喜欢中国现代散文、偏爱清淡文风的读者
对丰子恺漫画与民国文人生活感兴趣的读者
工作压力大、想借短篇随笔调节心绪的都市人
中学以上、需要积累散文范文与写作素材的学生
想找一本图文并茂赠书送人的读者

Not a good fit for

期待情节紧凑、故事性强的长篇小说的读者
希望获得系统心理学方法与情绪干预方案的读者
偏好宏大议题、思想论争类文字的读者

Reading tips

不必从头读到尾，可按三章主题挑篇目，一次读两三篇，留出回味的空档。
读到漫画处不妨停一停，想想那几笔画的正是文中哪一句，文画互读更有趣。
遇到《给我的孩子们》《我的母亲》这类篇章，可顺手写几百字自己的记忆作回应。
若用于语文学习，可对照丰子恺其他散文选本，比较同一篇目的不同版本与编排。

About the publisher

China Friendship Publishing Company China · Founded in 1983

China Friendship Publishing Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literary titles, covering classical Chinese literature, foreign literature, folk literature and cultural appreciation. According to the books in the database, its classical list includes celebrated dramas and novels such as The Peony Pavilion, The Romance of the Western Chamber and Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, as well as note-style classics like Hong Mai's Rongzhai Suibi. In foreign literature it offers translations of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Kawabata Yasunari's Snow Country and Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl, involving translators such as Zeng Siyi. It also publishes The Complete Literary Works of Lu Xun and titles associated with the "Xue'er Shuguan" editorial group, balancing the collation and popularization of classic texts. Public information on its publishing features and plans is limited; the above is summarized only from the books in the database.

Chapter One: Observing Life in Stillness
My Mother
Traces of Dreams
Observing Life in Stillness
To My Children
Beauty and Sympathy
Random Thoughts
No Age Has Been Held Cheaper Than Today
Private School Life
A Girl Who Married a Violin
Two Students
The Kindness of a Meal
Painting Friends
Chapter Two: Settling the Mind
A Temporary Escape from the Dusty World
The Mountains of Guilin
Life Among Mountains and Rivers
The World of Sketching (Part One)
The World of Sketching (Part Two)
Old Shanghai
The Many Faces of Mount Lu
Sheltering from Rain in the Mountains
Chapter Three: Joy in the Human World
Lai Liubo
Crooked Perch San
The Poor Child's Seesaw
Four Pillars
An Evening in Tokyo
Qingming
Fleshy Legs
Wear a Smile
Words of a Guest
Small Reflections
A New Joy

FAQ

这本书是谁写的，属于什么类型？

作者是丰子恺（1898—1975），画家、散文家。本书是散文与漫画合编的精选集，属中国现代散文与漫画作品集，中图分类为 I267、J228.2。

全书一共收了多少篇文章和漫画？

据出版社与图书馆资料，共收31篇散文，配丰子恺手绘漫画数十幅；不同印次与宣传页对漫画数量有56幅、61幅等说法，以实体书为准。

这本书和2021年新版有什么不同？

2021年版沿用同一ISBN（9787505743595），是在2018年初版基础上的重印或改版。两者篇目编排基本一致，均为三章结构，装帧与定价可能有差异。

没读过丰子恺的作品，从这本入手合适吗？

合适。本书是精选集，涵盖忆人、写景、记俗世人事的多类篇章，又配漫画，是了解丰子恺文风与画风的顺手入口。

书里的漫画是彩色印刷吗？

据出版方介绍，本书为四色全彩印刷，图文版式清新雅致，漫画与散文同页呼应，阅读和收藏都适合。

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About the author

Feng Zikai Author · Chinese · 1898–1975

Feng Zikai (1898–1975) was a native of Chongde in Zhejiang (present-day Tongxiang) and a modern painter, essayist, art and music educator, and translator. A student of Master Hongyi, he is known for cartoons that blend Chinese and Western techniques and for essays that are understated and sincere; his representative works include the Pictures for the Protection of Life series and the Yuanyuantang Essays. His work spans a wide range, and the collection here holds over a hundred titles, including editions or related texts of classics such as Call to Arms and Wandering, complete and illustrated translations of The Tale of Genji, and works in art, essays, and foreign literature. His writing and drawings are plain and warm, finding human feeling and interest in everyday details, and he left a steady, approachable influence on art education and literary translation in modern China.